Arrangement for spacing combustor can sleeves

ABSTRACT

A COMBUSTION CHAMBER LINER IS COMPRISED OF TWO ELESCOPING COMBUSTOR SECTIONS, THE LEADING EDGE OF THE DOWNSTREAM SECTION OVERLAPPING THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE UPSTREAM SECTION. THE OVERLAPPING COMBUSTOR SECTIONS ARE EACH PROVIDED WITH RADIALLY ALIGNED EQUALLY SPACED MATCHING HOLES. SPACER PINS ARE FITTED IN AND SECURED BY PLUG WELDING TO THE HOLES IN THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE UPSTREAM SECTION. SMALL BUTTON-LIKE PROJECTIONS ON THE PINS SNAP INTO THE MATCHING HOLES IN THE DOWNSTREAM SECTION.

c. R. TAYLOR 3,618,316

ARRANGEMENT FOR SPACING COMBUSTOR CAN SLEEVES Nov. 9, 1971 Filed April 25, 1970 INVI-JN'IOR. CHARLES R. TAYLOR BY 8% m A, 7/; W441,

ATTO NEYS.

United States Patent Ofice 3,618,316 ARRANGEMENT FOR SPACING COMBUSTOR CAN SLEEVES Charles R. Taylor, Stratford, Cnn., assignor to Avco Corporation, Stratford, Conn. Filed Apr. 23, 1970, Ser. No. 31,270 Int. Cl. F23r 1/10 US. Cl. 6039.65 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A combustion chamber liner is comprised of two telescoping combustor sections, the leading edge of the downstream section overlapping the trailing edge of the upstream section. The overlapping combustor sections are each provided with radially aligned equally spaced matching holes. Spacer pins are fitted in and secured by plug welding to the holes in the trailing edge of the upstream section. Small button-like projections on the pins snap into the matching holes in the downstream section.

This invention was made in the course of a contract with the United States Government, Department of Army.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The combustor for the conventional gas turbine engine is often made of a number of telescoped, generally cylindrical combustor sections, sometimes referred to as liners or segments. A common method for manufacturing these combustors is to telescope a number of sections and spotweld them together at circumferentially spaced points along their overlapping edges. The assembly of such telescoping sections is often difficult and frequently requires complex joints for providing a firm construction while at the same time admitting cooling air. Moreover, the telescoping sections are subjected to different temperatures, and hence the stresses introduced by relative expansion of the sections cause fatigue in the metals leading to premature failure.

The combustion chamber of this invention provides a simple and efiicient means for supporting the telescoping sections of the combustor while at the same time permitting expansion of the combustor sections. Briefly stated, the overlapping sections of the combustor are interconnected by means of pins which are welded to one section, projections on the pins snapping into aligned holes in the other section. This arrangement permits the flow of cooling air into the liner between the pins and at the same time permits the relative expansion of the combustor sections with minimum fatigue effects.

THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an axial cross section of combustor sections assembled in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross section taken through the line 2-2 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlargement showing the pin details.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows two overlapping sections and 12 of a combustor suitable for use in a gas turbine engine. While only two such sections are shown, it will be understood that the combustor may comprise several additional sec- 3,618,316 Patented Nov. 9, 1971 tions and that the sections may in practice have other configurations; that is to say, in practice the walls may be more complex, may include additional perforations for the admission of cooling air, and may be curved in the direction of gas flow.

Compressed air is delivered to the combustor from a compressor (not shown) in the direction of the arrows 14. The trailing edge of the upstream section 10 and the leading edge of the downstream section 12 are both provided with equally spaced, radially aligned matching holes 16 and 18. A plurality of pins 20, one for each pair of matching holes, is used to support and space the combustor sections 10 and 12. Each pin comprises an enlarged cylindrical body portion 21, having a diameter greater than that of the holes 16 and 18, and a radially inward projection 22 and a radially outward projection 24. The projection 22 of each pin 20 is fitted in each hole 16 and is secured by plug welding the projection 22. The two sections are then interconnected by snapping the projections 24 into the holes 18. The projections 24 are button-shaped or rounded to permit ease of assembly. The projections 24 may be plug welded into their corresponding holes after the telescoping sections have been snapped into place.

The pins 20 may, if desired, be aerodynamically shaped so as to increase the efliciency of the compressor air flow into the liner.

I claim:

1. A combustor having upstream and downstream radially spaced telescoping sections, said downstream section overlapping said upstream section; a first plurality of holes in said upstream section, said holes being circumferentially spaced adjacent the trailing edge thereof; a second plurality of holes in said downstream section, said second plurality of holes being equal in number to said first plurality and being circumferentially spaced at the leading edge of said downstream section in radial alignment with corresponding holes of said first plurality; and a like plurality of pins for bridging the radial space between said corresponding holes, each of said pins comprising a body portion, one end of said body portion having a first reduced diameter projection seated in one of said first plurality of holes and fixedly bonded therein, the other end of said body portion having a second reduced diameter projection snap fitting into one of said second plurality of holes.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said body portion has a length equal to the radial space between said sections.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said body portion has a diameter larger than the diameter of said holes.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said second reduced diameter projections are rounded to enable their being snapped into said second plurality of holes.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,858,673 11/1958 Wirt 39.65

DOUGLAS HART, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 431351 

